Eight years since we first galloped and robbed our way around the Old West in Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar games is back with a sequel. And it promises to
Eight years since we first galloped and robbed our way around the Old West in Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar games is back with a sequel.
And it promises to be bigger, better and even more revolutionary than the first.
Released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2010, Red Dead Redemption was a sprawling open-world adventure set in a fictionalised version of the American Frontier. Playing as former outlaw John Marston, you undertook an odyssey to hunt down your one-time gang members and secure freedom for your family.
While the story was great – and a tearjerker – it was the pure scope of the world and the activities available within it that made it an instant classic. I mean, when your clothes got dirty, you could duck into a river to clean them. That kind of realism doesn’t even take place in most games today.
So, to say that there’s some hype surrounding the next-gen sequel is like saying the Wild West was a bit dangerous – a gigantic understatement.
Set in the dying days of the Wild West era, Red Dead Redemption 2 will see you play Arthur Morgan, an old-fashioned outlaw and proud member of the Van der Linde gang. You’ll shoot, steal and ride your way across America, taking on rival gangs, authorities and even wild animals along the way.
While you’ll have to wait a little while to play it, we’ve collected all the best deals, as well as all the information you’ll need to saddle up when the game is released on October 26 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One .
The game is currently available to pre-order in Australia from participating retailers. There are a variety of pre-order bonuses available depending on the edition of the game and where you purchase it.
Each standard edition purchase comes with a War Horse and Outlaw Survival Kit. Purchasing at JB Hi-Fi enters you into a draw to win a 10-day trip to the USA.
Those who pre-order digitally on the PS4 or Xbox stores receive an in-game cash bonus and an exclusive treasure map. PlayStation users also get $500,000 in-game currency for GTA 5.
The special edition includes everything within the standard edition but adds an exclusive world map poster and content for story mode including missions, horses, gameplay boosts, outfits and weapons.
The ultimate edition gives you all the extra story mode content from the special edition, plus a series of online benefits including two bonus outfits, a horse and saddle, a survivor camp theme and additional weapons, and it will fast track you to rank 25.
If in-game bonuses aren’t doing it for you, you can always get this huge metal box full of assorted real-life goodies. Inspired by the lockbox used by the Van der Linde gang, the collectable box includes a coin, puzzle, bandana, treasure map, pin set, playing cards, a 150-page catalogue of in-game items and illustrated cigarette cards. It does not include the game.
Guns, gore and glory. The main story is said to take a colossal 65 hours to complete, and that isn’t including side missions and the thousands of inevitable distractions along the way. Then there’s an entire online mode, too. The game’s already starting to overwhelm me and I’m just writing about it!
Speaking to Hollywood Reporter, Rockstar art directors Josh Bass, and Aaron Garbut outlined what to expect.
“We’re trying to create a world where everything is more cohesive, so that both the player’s actions and the way the world reacts to your actions feel consistent no matter what you do or where you do it.
“It’s persistent and alive, but also more deliberate and intimate in ways which makes sense for a world where you were still mostly getting around by horse or on foot.
“You can exchange stories with a barman in a saloon, talk yourself out of trouble with a local lawman, hijack a train or simply rummage through the drawers of an old homestead hoping to find cash or just some food to help the gang survive — and seamlessly transition between these things in ways that are both fun and in keeping with Arthur as a character.”
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available on Playstation 4 and Xbox One on October 26 .
[Feature and body images courtesy of Rockstar games]
